The Wichita Lineman is still on the line and I know I need a small vacation

Wichita Kansas has a terrific little part replica/part original old western township called Cowtown. Think Westworld without Yul going batshit.

Foot pedal operated machinery well suited to injured workers suffering from bilateral epicondylitis (a little in-joke there for those in the rehab industry)

They have Ye olde local citizens scattered throughout the township who explain various aspects of 19th century western living. These people in the various museums I visit are always extremely bright and articulate and normally have a tertiary degree in history. So this type of gig would I imagine be heaven for a week or two. But for months ? years? There are not lot of choices for history majors. Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys (or cowboy historical impersonators) let them be doctors and lawyers and such.

This gent explained to me that a gent named Murdoch came and took over the local paper so as much as things change……….

Note the cases above him. Capital letters are in the upper case and small letters in the lower case and this how they got to be referred to that way in common parlance.

Well I’ll be horn swoggled if that nice carpenter didn’t turn out be in the words of Yosemite Sam “a rootin’ toot tootin’ two gun shootin’ wild west buccaneer.”

Anyway, enough enjoying myself it is time to play golf. Oh for pity sake, it is time to play golf.
I play with Andrew in Wichita Kansas. Andrew (a terrific fellow) has just finished a shift at the local aircraft manufacturer (where he works putting the skin on planes) that he started at 5 am. He works 60 to 70 hours a week. This is overtime that he has been doing for the last five months. I say surely they would be better off taking on additional staff rather than paying penalties and driving their staff into the ground. He replies not according to their bean counters. This may have something to do with your employment being linked to your healthcare, meaning it is more expensive to take on additional staff. It is all bizarre and Gough did us a big favour all those years ago.

So Andrew has decided to get in 18 before going home. We play the first 9 without a pencil, so don’t keep score. This is a blessing. We get a pencil for the second 9 -unfortunately. I should really be doing something else on a Sunday afternoon rather than playing golf. Not to overstate it, but I stink the joint up, while Andrew comes good. In spite of my putridness we have an awful lot of fun. Andrew can’t understand what I’m doing in Wichita. I explain that I’m on holidays. This draws a blank expression from Andrew. Me, “Don’t people on holidays come to Kansas?” Him, “Not really”. Me, “What nobody”. Him, “Well, I’ve never met anyone”.